Admirals Announce Roster Moves

The Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL parent club of the Norfolk Admirals, have recalled defenseman Matt Smaby from the Admirals and reassigned both forward Chris Lawrence and defenseman Scott Jackson to the ECHL Mississippi Sea Wolves, it was announced today by Lightning Executive Vice President & General Manager Brian Lawton. In addition, Admirals General Manager Mike Butters today annouced that forward/defenseman Brent Henley has been loaned to the Sea Wolves.

Smaby, a 6-5, 220-pound native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has skated in 25 games with Norfolk this season, recording two goals, four assists and 30 penalty minutes. He has also skated in two games with the Lightning earlier this month, averaging 10:02 of ice time and recording two penalty minutes.

Smaby made his NHL debut with the Lightning last season, skating in 14 games. In 15 career NHL games, he is scoreless with 12 penalty minutes. Selected in the second round, 41st overall by the Lightning at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Smaby played three seasons for the University of North Dakota (2003-04 through 2005-06), captaining teams that reached the NCAA Frozen Four in consecutive seasons.

Lawrence, a 6-foot-4, 217-pound right wing, has appeared in 19 games with the Admirals this season, scoring one goal and two assists with 18 penalty minutes. The second-year pro has skated in 72 career American Hockey League games – all with Norfolk – and has scored six goals and 13 assists with 50 penalty minutes.

Earlier this season, the 21-year-old appeared in seven games with the ECHL Augusta Lynx, scoring one goal and two assists with 25 penalty minutes. Lawrence was drafted by the Lightning in the third round (89th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He split his junior hockey career between the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds and the Mississauga IceDogs of the OHL, scoring 88 goals and 117 assists with 295 penalty minutes over four seasons. He also represented Canada at the 2005 World U-18 Championships, scoring a goal in six games.

Jackson, a 6-foot-4, 213-pound native of Salmon Arm, British Columbia, has appeared in 16 games with Norfolk this season, registering one assist and seven penalty minutes. The rookie made his professional debut on October 11 versus Hershey.

Jackson was signed by Tampa Bay as an unrestricted free agent on July 3. The 21-year-old six seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. In 326 games with Seattle, the 21-year-old scored 23 goals and recorded 119 points with 209 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 42 career WHL playoff games, recording four goals, 17 points and 33 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the second round, 37th overall, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Henley, a 6-foot-6, 258-pound defenseman-turned-forward from Coquitlam, British Columbia, has appeared in 12 games with the Admirals and has registered 80 penalty minutes. He was signed to an American Hockey League Standard Player’s Contract on October 7.

Henley also had appeared in two games for the Lynx earlier this season and was scoreless with two penalty minutes.

Henley has appeared in 58 career AHL contests between the Admirals, Lowell Lock Monsters, Rochester Americans, Toronto Marlies, Edmonton RoadRunners, and Springfield Falcons. He has scored one goal and added four assists with 225 penalty minutes in those contests.

In his eight-year professional career spanning 346 games between the AHL, ECHL, WCHL, UHL and IHL, Henley has scored ten goals and added 39 assists with 1,661 penalty minutes.

The Admirals will battle the Philadelphia Phantoms tonight at Scope at 7:15 p.m. The first 500 kids 12 years of age and younger will receive a Chris Gratton mini-bobblehead doll courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

To purchase tickets to any Admirals game, you may visit the Scope Box Office weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., visit any Ticketmaster outlet, call Ticketmaster at (757) 671-8100 or visit Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com. Don’t miss a minute of the action by purchasing your 2008-09 season tickets today. Stop by the Admirals’ Administrative Offices at Scope, call (757) 640-1212 weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or visit norfolkadmirals.com anytime!